Baldchap

Interesting, the posts here are the exact opposite of my experiences. I've now put 10k on my 07 and it's been flawless and is pretty much silent on the move. Lexus Derby have been fantastic when I've used them and even swapped all four wheels because one had stonechips on it! They also wash it for me FOC once a month. :) On the basis of this one I'd never go back to the Germans (had both an A4 and 3 series previously, the 3 was the better car of the two IMO), they just seem noisy and unrefined in comparison... We almost bought another for the missus, but she ended up with an MX-5 in the end because she wanted something fun. We've got the best of both worlds now. :)

I had one as a courtesy car and TBH I didn't like the suspension settings. You can alter them on the dash but they seem to alter the car from too hard to too soft. The 'normal' car seems far better, but in truth it's probably the lower profile tyres that do it. I'd say drive both and see which you prefer.

I'm running PS2s and they seem fine, though after a recent (wet) bike trip running Dunlops I was so impressed I'll be trying out their car offerings when replacement is due...

Does this frighten anyone else? As a motorcyclist it terrifies me. There's already far too many distractions and far too little talent out there as it is! Rather than watching films whilst you drive, why not occupy yourself with some advanced training - you might find that once you learn how to drive to a decent standard that you don't need a DVD to occupy you...

Any will lock the wheels, so unless fade is an issue for your driving style then personally I'd go with the cheapest. The OEMs undoubtedly produce the most dust. Rear brakes are largely for balance under braking, rather than serious speed reduction, so it's far less of an issue on the rears anyway.

I was offered 3 years damage insurance for my alloys for £200 when I bought the car. Given that I bought the Lexus precisely because it won't fit in my garage (won it back for the bike, see?) I knew kerbing was going to be a risk so I went for it. I had a stone chip and bubbling on one wheel which Lexus replaced (actually all four were replaced) when I offered to kerb it and claim on that insurance instead! :)

Never experienced this (thankfully) - what do you ride?

If there's fluid in the system and your brake servo isn't losing pressure then you cannot have hit the brake pedal. Next time you are in the car, turn off the engine and pump the brake pedal. It should become firmer to the point where you can barely push it. If it doesn't you may have a servo leak (which leaks air so is hard to detect - perhaps get a friend to listen for hissing in the engine bay whilst you do this)...

This is the reason they import from the UK to SL and not from Japan which would be far cheaper - this can't be done easily (if at all) on the unit supplied in Japanese cars (at least certainly not the one in the RX's that we've been exporting). You'd think there'd be a simple way to change it (can't believe they build different units hard coded by language), but none of the garages and Toyota angents in SL can do it, nor can the supplying dealers in Japan, apparently.

Now might be the time to see if you're any good at wheel refurbing! Failing that a decent independant wheel refurbisher would sort that out in no time.

When I bought my used IS250 from Lexus Derby I was offered a 3 year alloy insurance policy for about £150, which I took. Initially this seems pricey, but for mint wheels over 3 years struck me as not too bad - especially with my missus's record!! :shutit: I found a stone chip on one wheel, which was probably there when I bought it and it was starting to bubble a bit, as well as finish showing signs of wear on other wheels, so I took it in. Wear and tear is not covered by the policy, only accidental damage. When I offered to go and kerb the wheels so they could fix it under the policy they agreed to sort it and changed all 4 wheels for newly refurbed ones! Apparently they keep a set in at all times. Whether they have any F-Sport ones I couldn't say, but got to be worth a call. :)

Mine's a petrol (07) bought this April with 30k on it. Lexus Derby supplied with 12 month Lexus (not dealer) warranty. So far I've had 2 VVTi controllers, 4 wheels and the boot lining refitted. The warranty to buy is quite expensive, but I will certainly buy one next year. Bear in mind that to maintain the warranty you can have servicing done at ANY VAT registered garage.

Price matching on tyres you say... Derby Lexus told me they paid £4 more than I did (from Camskill) for Dunlop SP's on my IS250!

In the absence of all but a curious reply that looks like it's written in Greek (at least on my PC), I'd say to look above the wheel arches (above the liner, slightly forward - there may be venting in the arch liner on one side which identifies which side to look) - that's a usual plase for manufacturers to 'hide' ICs if there isn't a standard FMIC. Edit: Some cars have two - the audi TT, for instance has one each side. :)

It was that thread that got me to take it in! If you were new to Lexus (like I am) you could be forgiven for not knowing anything was wrong - I wonder if this is more widespread than suspected but most people assume the car just sounds like that. It was still quieter than most things. Symptoms below: More pronounced when cold. More pronounced at low RPM (2k ish). More noticable at 50%-75% throttle. When engine warm acceleration produces 'tappety' noise (like an older car that's a whisker low on oil). When cold a little bit coarse on tickover. Apparently (forgive me if this is incorrect; I'm not a mechanic) the VVTi controllers are primarily activated by oil pressure and it is a slight misadjustment in them that causes the noise. This explains why I only hear it at mid+ throttle. I am told there is no risk to the engine, no potential for damage and the noise is the only symptom - apparently the valve timing is unaffected. Interestingly the first attempted fix was a manual adjustment and a change from 0w30 to 5w30 oil. Thicker oil to mask the noise perhaps?

My SE's been in having new wheels and VVTi controllers and I've had an 11-plate F-Sport as a courtesy car. Been working about 75 miles away so I've put a good few hundred miles on it and I'm not convinced I like it. Spec-wise it seems fairly similar to mine with the usual sporty upgrades outside and a few added tweaks inside (steering column zooms about by itself and the mirrors auto-fold. There's a DAB button but it doesn't seem to do much (user error I suspect)!) but I can't decide if it's tyres, wheels or suspension (or all three) but the ride's really poor and incredibly noisy. I'm not sure if 'ASF' changes the suspension settings or not (I've fiddled with on and off) but it seems to make a difference to the ride without actually improving it - on the bumpy section of the M42 this morning my man-boobs were shaking like crazy (and they're not THAT big!) ;) Anyone gone to/from one? What do folk think of them over the standard cars?

Welcome. I'm ashamed to admit I quite like the wheels. ;)

Welcome, I'm new here myself after a few VAG motors including a Fabia vRS and a 1.8 20vT Polo GTi. I've not felt the need to go back! ;)

I bought an SE in April and my feedback would be to definitely go for the SE-L as I understand it has adaptive cruise. I have the ventilated leather and in this weather it's a godsend! Also, I'd definitely recommend either buying from a dealer or buying a warranty. Lexus are replacing my wheels and VVTi controllers FOC so I'm very pleased I bought from a main agent as that'd have been quite pricey! They also valet it free once a month! The only real weakness in terms of trim that I've seen is the boot lining appears to be quite flimsy and can easily come loose. Again, they're sorting it under warranty. As someone who's always veered towards 'warmer' variants, I can understand the desire for a manual but the 250 auto is very, very good. Crack the sport button on and it actually goes pretty well too. MPG and emissions (if you care) are apparently lower and I did hear that for the petrol they'd ditched or were ditching the manual box as an option because it's so unpopular. Happy hunting. :)

I'm looking for a 200/300 for the missus and have seen a couple advertised with folding rear seats. My IS doesn't have them - is this a mistake on the seller's part or do some saloons have folding rear seats? Ta. :)

Exactly what I came in here to ask! Fantastic! One question: Can you see the ball joints with the car on the road - how does the problem manifest itself? Noisy? Notchy? Ta. :)

Biker accidents typically involve right of way violations by cars or are single vehicle accidents (bike going too fast and crashing all by themselves). You're trying to watch television whilst driving - does it really strike you as sensible?

I'm new here & perhaps this is the done thing on this site, but I'm also a biker and this really makes my blood boil!! You lot are bad enough with food, phones and passengers, let alone watching bloody films whilst you're not looking at who you're trying to kill!! :tsktsk:

Bought an IS250 in April and genuinely like it, which is unusual for me with cars! It sounded just a little bit tappety every now and again, no consistency to it and no discernable cause - it seemed to come and go. Normally more pronounced from cold but not always. :( I dropped it into Derby Lexus who fortunately witnessed the noise and diagnosed the VVTi controllers in need of adjustment. No joy on an adjust so some new ones are required. It's gone back in for some new ones under warranty and whilst it's there they're replacing the wheels after I spotted some problems with the finish. They even fit me in early because of my own limited availability. :) I've never experienced service like this. If you need anything doing and your local dealer isn't cutting it try Derby - they certainly get my thumbs up! :)

Hi Everyone, In April I purchased an '07 IS250 and like it a lot. :) I'm a keen biker (motorised, of course) so I don't tend to find cars particularly thrilling - the Lexus is perfect for me; quiet, smooth, comfy and a decent radio - it goes alright for a four-wheeler too. I really am struggling to pick fault with it after already covering over 4,000 miles. Lexus Derby have been truly excellent, genuinely 10/10 - they even wash it for me FOC once a month whilst I drink tea!!! We're so happy with it that the missus is looking to replace her Smart Fortwo with an IS200/300. Given that I did no research when I bought my 250 I think I was lucky (a disappointing test drive in a Saab followed by a look 'just in case' resulted in a purchase), I might not be so lucky with the older IS so it's time to get an honest opinion from people who own them. So: Any good? Worth buying (looking about 2003ish and likely an auto) and any particularly scary costly bits to look out for? Anyone selling one (want leather) for sensible money or looking to change to something smaller? Thanks for reading. This looks like a pretty knowledgable site from scouting around... :D